When do we find our passion?

When I lost my early life-passion.
There was a time in my early high school days that I wanted to become a veterinarian. I loved animals and I thought I wanted to spend my days helping animals. But I’m not a veterinarian today.

It changed for me during the summer between my sophomore and junior year. I attended an academic and tour at the University of Georgia and chose a medical oriented preview session. Quite honestly, I can’t remember the exact medical images they showed on the screen that day. I don’t even think it was of animals. But I do remember that it was at that moment that I knew I would not study to become a veterinarian. It hit me while I sat in the desk and watched a professor turn through some slides with voice-over of particular conditions and methods of study. I finished the session in the class, but I was done with what I thought would become my life-passion.

When I found a passion that stuck.
When I returned back to high school life, I signed-up for some electives in computer programming. I started programming in BASIC. Something clicked during this time. I remember writing simple programs outside of school assignments and helping other students with their assignments. I had found a something that intrigued me and I wanted to learn more.

The timing of all this ran parallel to my research and decision for college studies. Georgia Tech was on my short list for a few reasons. My strongest grades were in math and science courses, and Tech had a well respected computer science program. I applied to Georgia Tech first. After a quick acceptance, I didn’t fill out any further applications. I had found both a school and a course of study. I never changed my major in undergraduate studies and I’ve held various technology related jobs since graduation.

But technology and computer programming are not my passion. I see my larger passion as using technology to solve problems. I like to build stuff. I like to tinker with technology. But I really like to see technology solve problems, provide automation, or eliminate redundancies.

When do we find passion that influences our life decisions?
As I watch my kids grow and mature, I’ve tried to determine what their passion is or will be. When is the moment that someone finds their life-passion? I’m sure it’s different for everyone. Perhaps some people never find it. Some people may spend their lives wandering from thing-to-thing. But others find something that drives and motivates them. When and how does this happen?

Fast Company published and article about Steve Jobs and his life-passion. The writer of the article suggests that Steve Jobs tried lots of small things in life while looking for something that he loved. So it wasn’t so much that he followed his passion as it was that he looked for something that worked in his life and that he could love to do.

I think the pursuit of a life-passion is a life long process. Maybe there is a defining moment that begins the pursuit. But it turns into a life journey of “do what you love” which includes variations, trials, failures, and successes. In my own experience my life-passion of using technology to solve problems has evolved through experience, discovery, and failures. I suspect it will continue to evolve as long as I live.

So I don’t know that there is an exact “when” for finding our life-passion. Some people seem to discover it in their youth while others, such as Steve Jobs, find it later in life. If there was a set answer it would take away from the life experience of searching. Keep searching, keep trying, keep living.